Anoraks Assemble

The Omen is a 1976 supernatural horror film, written by David Seltzer and directed by Richard Donner.

The film tells the story of an American diplomat, Robert Thorn, and his wife Katherine, who are living in Rome. She is pregnant and when she gives birth and the baby dies, the hospital chaplain convinces Robert to secretly adopt another baby whose mother died in childbirth. Robert agrees but does not tell the fragile Katherine, and they name him Damien.

Fast-forward five years and Robert is now U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He and Katherine’s seemingly idyllic lifestyle is disrupted as, very slowly, they begin to realise that Damien is not all he seems.

Eventually, Robert joins forces with photographer Keith Jennings (the wonderful David Warner), and they begin to uncover the shocking truth about just who, or what, Damien is.

There was a real trend in the 1970s for supernatural horror, which was probably inspired by the likes of Rosemary’s Baby back in 1968, and it carried on with The Exorcist in 1973.

But I think The Omen tops them all.

For me, having Gregory Peck in the lead – an actual real-life movie legend – was the masterstroke. He plays it so serious and straight, I believe everything he says. Also, Lee Remick is so convincing as the ever-fearful Katherine. David Warner is just wonderful as Jennings, and Patrick Troughton is memorable, in a fairly brief but so important role, as Father Brennan, (complete with memorable death scene).

Apart from Gregory Peck, the other piece of inspired casting is Billie Whitelaw who is just so completely pant-wettingly terrifying as Mrs. Baylock, the literal nanny from hell.

The film spawned three sequels of varying quality, a prequel which I think is quite good, and a remake which is utterly ghastly.

Why was it so popular?

Maybe because it made the viewer question their beliefs, i.e. if the Devil exists then surely God must exist too.

Or maybe because it’s got the coolest decapitation scene in movie history!